This invention relates in general to bearings for supporting shafts for rotation and in particular to an improved structure for a center bearing assembly for rotatably supporting an intermediate portion of a vehicle drive line or coupling shaft assembly.
In most rear wheel drive vehicles, a source of rotational energy, such as an internal combustion or diesel engine, is located near the front of the vehicle. The engine is connected by means of a drive line to rotate one or more driven wheels, which are located near the rear of the vehicle. The drive line typically extends between a transmission, which is connected to the engine, and a differential, which is connected to the driven wheels. In some vehicles, the distance separating the transmission and the differential is relatively short. In these vehicles, the drive line is composed of a single tube, which is usually referred to as a drive shaft. In other vehicles, the distance separating the transmission and the differential is relatively long, making the use of a one-piece drive shaft impractical. In these vehicles, the drive line is composed of a drive shaft and one or more coupling shafts. The coupling shafts are connected to the drive shaft (and each other) by universal joints.
Drive lines which are composed of a drive shaft and one or more coupling shafts require the use of one or more intermediate resilient support structures, which are typically referred to as center bearing assemblies. A typical center bearing assembly includes an annular ball bearing, within which the coupling shaft is rotatably supported. The ball bearing is itself disposed within a generally annular resilient support member. The resilient support member is, in turn, disposed within a generally U-shaped bracket which is secured to the lower surface of a cross member extending between the side rails of the vehicle frame. The resilient support member is provided to reduce vibrations of the drive line in the vicinity of the center bearing assembly and to prevent any such vibrations from being transmitted to the vehicle frame. Many center bearing assembly structures of this general type are known in the art.
As is commonly known in modern vehicle manufacturing methods, the drive shaft, the coupling shafts, and the center bearing assemblies are frequently fabricated in one location, stored in a second location, then shipped to a third location for assembly into the vehicle frame. Because the ball bearings and the resilient support members of the center bearing assemblies are annular in shape, they cannot be accidentally removed from the coupling shaft during storage and shipment. However, the U-shaped brackets which secure the ball bearings and the resilient support members to the vehicle frame can be accidentally removed if not restrained. A number of such bracket restraints are known in the art for preventing the bracket from becoming dislodged from the remainder of the center bearing assembly. Nonetheless, it would be desirable to provide an improved structure for retaining these U-shaped brackets on their associated center bearing assemblies which is simple and inexpensive in structure and construction.